


The Thing About Being You

by murdochinthetardis



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Bisexual Disasters, Bodyswap, Canon-Typical Violence, Car Accidents, Drinking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, characters and tags to be updated as i go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-05-21 02:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14906891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murdochinthetardis/pseuds/murdochinthetardis
Summary: After Bobo begrudgingly decides to redeem himself, he helps out on a mission that goes sideways. A cursed mirror ends up swapping Doc and Bobo’s bodies, much to their dismay. While trying to find a way to reverse it, the two find out what it’s really like to be the other, and that they aren’t so different after all





	1. Broken Glass and Broken Spirits

Doc Holliday and Bobo Del Rey were wildly different people to say the least. One was a cursed demon and the other a gunslinger turned immortal turned mortal again. One was a stranger in this new world and the other new the ins and outs of everything. One was a smooth gentleman and the other was a rough around the edges troublemaker.

Whatever similarities they did share, they ignored. The two hated each other and swore that wouldn’t change.

Fate, however, had other plans. Opposites attract and likeness repels, but an even mix of the two leaves you floating in the middle. Sometimes, all it takes is a little nudge.

Other times, when you’re dealing with clueless idiots, it takes a fucking shove.

 

* * *

 

Doc hummed to himself as he cleaned a glass with a rag. Bars these days felt so much neater than the ones he used to frequent. Shorty’s was a dose of nostalgia with a touch of modern day. Someone had asked Doc for the wifi password the other day and the gunslinger had just stared blankly like he’d been asked for the formula for the philosopher’s stone.

Adjusting to 2018 was strange. It would definitely take Doc some time. Although he missed many things from the late 1800’s, Doc was growing to like this weird new world.

Doc flipped the clean glass in the air and was about to catch it before the door to the bar slammed open. Fumbling, he grabbed the glass seconds before it hit the ground. Pistol now at the ready, Doc turned and faced the door to find the Earp heir standing before him, out of breath, with a nasty looking bruise forming on the left side of her head.

“DOC!” Wynonna panted, running up to the counter. “We’ve got a problem!.”

Of course they did. Still, Doc was more than willing to help his friend. “Judging by your composure this seems to be quite a big problem.”

Wynonna took a few breaths before she spoke again. “Peacemaker’s gone.”

“It’s WHAT?!” Doc yelled, dropping the glass he had just caught. It shattered on the ground. “How in the hell did you manage to lose an undoubtedly important magical gun?!”

“These two guys were causing trouble in town, I tell them to knock it off and BAM glowing red eyes, revenants!” Wynonna began. “I aim for one and the other hits me.” She motioned to the bruise. “My vision went blurry for a second and I was off guard. He knocked Peacemaker out of my hand. By the time I could see right again, they were gone and so was my fucking gun.”

“Revenants… took Peacemaker.” Doc pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was under the assumption that they couldn’t hold it without burning.”

“Well…” Wynonna said sheepishly. “They kinda… had gloves?”

“The revenants had gloves.”

“Yeah…”

“And they took Peacemaker.”

“Yup.”

“The only gun that can kill them.”

“Uh huh.”

Doc looked at Wynonna for a long moment before speaking again. “I believe I should call agent Dolls.”

“What?! Hey! No! You can not call Dolls,” Wynonna insisted. She leaned across the bar counter. “Doc, if he finds out about this I am dead.”

“Unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate?! Doc, you gotta help me! Please, you and I will find Peacemaker, get it back, and then it’s like nothing ever happened.” Wynonna pleaded.

“Mm hmm.” Doc hummed. “And what do I get out of this?”

“Come on! Can’t you do this out of the good of your own heart?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“For the sake of humanity?”

“I think I will have to pass, miss Earp. Humanity has not done much for me.”

“Fine! What do you want?” Wynonna sighed.

Doc’s lips turned up into a smirk. “I want one of them fancy floor cleaning circle robots.”

Wynonna blinked. “You want a fucking roomba?!”

“Hey, cleaning the floor here can be a hassle!” He gestured to the shards of glass by his feet. “But I’m sure Dolls knows where I can buy one myself. Allow me to just give him a call-”

“Okay okay, I’ll get you a goddamn roomba! Sheesh!” Wynonna grumbled. “Just help me out with this and don’t breathe a word to anybody.”

  
Doc smiled as he bent down to start picking up the broken glass. “Cross my heart.”

 

* * *

 

Bobo was a mess. Well, more of a mess than usual. His hair was tangled, the white slowly fading back to black, and his beard could use a trim. The nail polish on his pinkies was chipped and his hands were scratched after attempts of climbing up the stone walls of the well. The straight jacket he wore was torn and covered in dirt.

The revenant had tried for days to get out of the well, to no avail. He couldn’t get out himself and he knew nobody was coming for him. Bobo had finally given up.

When you’re left alone with your thoughts for a long time it gets hard to ignore them. When you have nowhere to run, you’re forced to confront them.

Bobo Del Rey had taken any traces of humanity and softness and had crushed them with his boot, stomped on them until they were dust. That dust was now rising up in his lungs to choke him.

 _“What about Wyatt?”_ a voice inside his head asked. _“What about the old you?”_

“The old me is dead,” Bobo told that voice. “Wyatt killed him. Hell made _me_.”

_“Hell changed you.”_

“Hell does that to people.”

 _“There’s light in you yet, Robert,”_ the voice continued. _“You have the capability to do good again. To redeem yourself.”_

Bobo laughed a bit at that thought. “And how am I supposed to do that when I’m stuck all the way down here?”

_“Start with letting yourself feel.”_

The thought hit Bobo like a brick. He’d shoved his emotions so far down inside himself and never let anything but amusement or anger show. It had never occurred to him how little he expressed what he was truly feeling.

Taking in a deep breath, Bobo screamed. A pained, angry, tortured cry. He screamed until it hurt and then screamed some more. Nobody was around to hear it anyways. He let out the anger inside him. The resentment he held for Wyatt Earp for putting this curse on him. His bitterness towards Waverly Earp, his angel, who he’d sworn to protect but was now an enemy. His frustration about Doc Holliday who was just another reminder of how little old Robert Svane meant to Wyatt.

The yell died down and then ever so slowly, it turned into sobs.

It had been so long since Bobo had cried. It was so foreign. His body trembled as he let everything out, like a soda bottle someone had shaken up before finally taking the cap off. Bobo sank to the floor of the well and curled up into a ball. He had let Wyatt down. He had let Willa down. He had let himself down.

It hurt, but at the same time, it felt good. A huge weight had been lifted from the revenants shoulders. He felt… more human.

 _“Breathe,”_ the voice told him. _“Breathe, Robert. Your redemption starts now.”_


	2. Are You There, Wyatt? It’s Me, Bobo

 

“Waves is out with Nicole right now,” Wynonna told Doc as she unlocked the door to the Earp homestead. “It’s just us.”

“There was a time where that sentence would have sent shivers up my spine,” Doc said with a smirk.

Wynonna hit him on the chest but smiled. “C’mon, don’t be gross,” she told him. Doc chuckled and followed her inside.

The gunslinger waited in the kitchen while Wynonna headed to Waverly’s room, the old wood floorboards of the house creaking under her feet. She returned a few minutes later with a stack of files in her hand.

“Let’s go through these until I recognise someone,” Wynonna suggested.

“Thrilling,” Doc said sarcastically. He handed her a drink and took a sip of his own.

An hour and a bottle of beer each later, Wynonna stood up suddenly. “Boom! Found ‘em!” She held her hand out to Doc for a high five and was met with a confused expression. “Please don’t tell me I have to teach you how to high five.”

“Uh… perhaps later. May I see the file?” Doc asked.

Wynonna handed it over. There was a grainy sepia picture of two men, both with the same pale eyes and dark hair, though one was taller than the other. They stood in front of a cabin, rifles in hand. “Recognise them?”

Doc nodded. “I sure as hell do. Martin and Michael Morgan.”

“Say that five times fast.”

“They’re brothers. Thieves. Started off as pickpockets and it just got worse from there,” Doc recounted. “Hoarders too, like to keep their stashes instead of selling them.”

“So hoarder revenant thieves stole my gun.” Wynonna sighed. “Greeeeat.”

“Now don’t give up just yet. They may be smart, but they sure as hell ain’t wise. They use the same tricks over and over,” Doc said. “They’ll be easy enough to take down, so long as it’s at least two against two. Their plans did not account for Wyatt to have me with him the first time around.”

“Only problem now is how to find them.”

“Do Waverly’s notes have anything on their current location?”

Wynonna flipped through the couple of pages on the brothers. “Nope, nada.”

“Damn it,” Doc grumbled. He leaned back in his seat.

Then a thought came to him; _“Who knows the revenants better than anyone else?”_

“Bobo...” Doc said out loud.

“What.”

Doc sighed. “Bobo would know where to find them.”

“Alright, so we go over to the well, pop the lid off, get the location and BAM, you have a roomba in no time.” Wynonna grinned.

“You and I both know it won’t be that easy to get information out of him,” Doc told her.

“It’s still worth a shot though, right?”

 

* * *

 

Meditating was stupid. All you do is sit there and think. All Bobo had done these past few days — weeks? — was sit and think. Still, he tried it, there wasn’t much else to do down there. Tried to calm his thoughts and soothe his mind, hoping for some sort of revelation that never came. Stupid meditation.

He’d cried himself to sleep last night. Damn, that realisation made him feel like some angsty teenager. However, for once, he didn’t have a nightmare.

Bobo had dreamed about Wyatt. Sitting in an empty Shorty’s, some song or other playing on the jukebox or radio or whatever. The details were growing hazier by the second.

_“It’s been a while.” Wyatt smiled._

_“Uh, yeah,” Bobo mumbled. “I guess you could say that.”_

_There was a sense of awkwardness in the air. Bobo walked behind the bar and poured himself a drink. “This better be just a dream and not some…” He gestured vaguely, bottle of liquor in hand, “...ghostly message from beyond the grave.”_

_Wyatt chuckled. “Allow me to retain some sense of mystery around myself, Robert.” Bobo shrugged and poured two glasses. “What would you rather it be?”_

_“I’d rather it be some stupid dream,” Bobo admitted. “The real you wouldn’t like this me.”_

_“You’re still_ you _.”_

_“Am I, though?” Bobo asked._

_Wyatt smiled and raised his drink. “Cheers.”_

A sudden rush of light snapped Bobo out of his thoughts and back to the present. He covered his eyes with one hand, unused to so much sunlight in this small space. A pebble hit the revenant in the face and he grunted in surprise.

“Hey, asshole,” Wynonna’s voice said.

“Earp,” Bobo replied, his voice still hoarse from last night. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Come in, make yourself comfortable.”

“I’m good up here, thanks,” she replied.

Bobo craned his neck to try and get a better look at who was there. There were two figures at the top of the well. The first was Wynonna, but Bobo couldn’t make out who the other person was. “You brought a friend.”

“Hey, asshole.”

“Doc. Of course.” Bobo picked up the pebble that had hit him- probably thrown by Wynonna, though it could have just as easily been Doc showing off his aim- and twirled it between his fingers. “Are you at least charging people to see me?”

“That would imply that people _want_ to see you,” Wynonna told him.

Bobo threw the pebble, trying to hit the cocky heir. It missed, hit the wall of the well, and bounced back down right into his face again.

“Well, well, well.” Doc said with a smirk. “How the tables have turned.” He did his best to hide his nervousness with his tone and facial expression, not that Bobo could see his face. His hands were clenched and he dug his heels into the ground. Just thinking of this well made the gunslinger queasy.

“Was that a goddamn _pun_ , Holliday?” Bobo Del Rey growled. “Ha ha. Hilarious. What is it you two want?”

“We need something,” Doc explained.

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Doc muttered something to Wynonna that sounded like _“I told you.”_

“Listen,” Wynonna leaned back over the well and began to talk again. “We need your help to find some revenants.”

“This is Purgatory,” Bobo told her. “Throw a rock and you’ll hit a revenant.”

“Been there, done that.” She dropped another pebble but Bobo managed to avoid it this time.

“We need to find a specific pair of revenants,” Doc clarified. “The Morgan brothers.”

“And you expect me to just tell you?” Bobo scoffed. “No. I tell you and you leave me in here to rot.”

“That was the plan,” Wynonna said.

“I want out,” Bobo said. He leaned against the damp stone wall, still trying to get a better look at Doc and Wynonna. “I want to get out of this damn well.”

“You and I both know you cannot be trusted,” Doc replied. “If we let you out, you’ll just cause trouble again.”

Bobo groaned and rolled his eyes. “I won’t, I swear on Wyatt’s grave, I won’t.”

“Don’t you bring Wyatt into this,” Doc spat.

“I want to be better! I’m a changed man!” Bobo insisted. “I want to change.”

“Why would you?” Wynonna asked. “Why the hell would _you_ change?”

“Maybe because I’m tired of cleaning up revenant messes? You don’t know how infuriating they can be, it’s like herding undead cats!” Bobo exclaimed. “Maybe because I’m as tired of this curse as you are.”

Doc and Wynonna moved away from the well. Bobo could hear them talking but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Moments later, they leaned back over the well.

“If we let you out you help us with this. And not just information, you come with us to take on those revenants,” Wynonna said.

“Of course,” Bobo replied.

“And you help us with every other revenant case after this,” Wynonna continued.

“Sure,” Bobo agreed. “Send every last one of those bastards back down to Hell, I’d be glad to lend a hand with that.”

“Then we have a deal,” Doc concluded.

“Mm hmm…” Bobo hummed. “Why do you need to find the Morgans anyway?”

“I uh…” Wynonna stammered.

“They stole something from you, didn’t they?” Bobo chuckled. “Something shiny… something magic… they took Peacemaker and you need me to get it back.”

“Shut up. We have a deal” Wynonna grumbled.

“Of course we do. But one last thing.”

“Dear lord, what now?” Doc groaned.

“I want my coat back.”


	3. My Kingdom for a Coat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon is gently ignored for the sake of giving Doc a bigger apartment

Sunlight felt good on Bobo’s face. It was almost cheesy how nice the ground beneath his feet felt, how comforting the empty air around him was. The revenant took in a deep breath; he felt reborn. He felt free.

Doc started coiling up the rope they had used to pull Bobo out. His eyes kept darting back to Bobo. The revenant knew that if he tried anything there’d be a bullet between his eyes “faster than a fly can blink” as Doc had once said. That was stupid, in Bobo’s opinion. _Flies don’t have eyelids, idiot._

“Okay then, let’s go get Peacemaker,” Wynonna told the men.

“Hold on just a damn minute,” Bobo grumbled. “I just got out. I’m not going anywhere like this.” He gestured to himself, his dirt-covered skin, his bloodstained and torn straightjacket.

“Come on, are you kidding me?” Wynonna groaned.

Doc rolled his eyes. “What is it you require _your highness_?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

“A shower would be nice. A drink, some food, some clean clothes…” Bobo listed. “Maybe my damn coat?!”

“Fine!” Wynonna threw her hands up in the air. It was pointless arguing with Bobo. They had at least gotten this far. “I’ll get your stupid coat. Doc, take him back to your place to get cleaned up.”

Doc started to protest but Wynonna shushed him. “Alright, alright.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “Rest up. We will take care of this first thing tomorrow morning.”

Bobo nodded. “Gun won’t be goin’ anywhere. The Morgans are too prideful to pawn it. Plus they’re-”

“Hoarders,” Doc interrupted. “It’ll be like shootin’ fish in a barrel.”

“More like shooting a needle in a barrel of hay,” Bobo corrected. Doc shot him a glare. “What? They’ve got heaps of magical trash. It could take days to find your Pacemaker.”

“Peacemaker.” Wynonna corrected.

“Gesundheit.”

 

* * *

 

Doc felt like the chances of him being stabbed in his sleep had increased the second Bobo walked through his front door.

Bobo looked over the blank, pale blue walls. “You should decorate.”

“Since when are you an interior designer?” Doc scoffed.

“Since I walked in here,” Bobo retorted. “The well was homier.”

Doc’s mustache twitched. All the comments about the well really rubbed him the wrong way. Bobo had spend a fraction of the time that Doc had in there. “Could you shut up for a damn minute about that well, for the love of-”

“Toouuchyyy. Sheesh.” Bobo grumbled.

Doc took his coat off and hung it on a mostly empty coat rack. Bobo wasn’t entirely wrong. His small apartment was pretty sparse. He just… didn’t have the time to decorate. That, and he wasn’t exactly used to living in one place for extended periods of time. Back when Doc worked with Wyatt, living situations tended to be moving from inn to inn (or from the home of one lady to another) and then it was on to the next town.

“Bathroom?” Bobo asked, snapping Doc out of his thoughts.

“Down the hall on your right. Refrain from using up my nice shampoo,” Doc told him.

Bobo snorted. “You have ‘nice shampoo’? Really?”

“Oh shut up,” Doc huffed. “I am doing this for Wynonna. Not for you.”

Bobo put a ring covered hand over his chest. “Oh, John Henry, you wound me!”

“Down the hall on your right,” Doc repeated. Bobo rolled his eyes, and then walked off.

 

* * *

 

“Stupid Bobo and his stupid coat...” Wynonna muttered to herself. “Just get it out of the evidence lockup, yeah that’ll be easy.”

The trade was necessary to get the revenant to actually cooperate with them and not run his mouth. All Wynonna had to do was bring him his ugly ass fur coat. That was easy. The hard part would be keeping Bobo’s presence out of the well a secret from Dolls and the others.

“I should have stayed in bed,” Wynonna grumbled as she walked down the halls of Purgatory’s police station. “But nooo, I thought it would be a nice day for a walk. Who thinks that? What am I, an old lady?”

“Cutest old lady I’ve ever seen,” Dolls told her, suddenly stepping through the door.

Wynonna blinked in surprise, she had been hoping to avoid Xavier. _Crap, he couldn’t find out about this._ “Aw, I bet you say that to all the gals at the senior home.” Good save.

Xavier smiled. “What are you doing here? It’s your day off.”

“Well, y’know. People like me don’t really get days off,” Wynonna said. “Besides I… wanted to see you.” Not a lie, just avoiding the whole truth.

“You can see me later,” Dolls told Wynonna, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m off in an hour.”

“Awesome!” Wynonna grinned, hoping it didn’t look too fake. For added measure, she shot him a pair of finger guns. “See you then.”

When Dolls had returned back to his office, Wynonna breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the evidence room. Nailed it.

 

* * *

 

Doc didn’t know what was more annoying: the fact that Bobo sang in the shower, or the fact that the walls of Doc’s apartment were thin enough that the gunslinger could hear him.

_“Country roooooads, take me hooome-”_

Doc was considering taking his pistol and putting himself out of his misery.

_“To the plaaace, I beloooong!”_

It was almost like Bobo wanted all of Purgatory to know he was back.

_“WEST VIRGINIAAA-”_

Doc turned the TV on and cranked up the volume. At least Bobo wasn’t a bad singer. Kicking his shoes off, Doc leaned back on the couch and started flipping through the channels. Something called _Doctor Who_ was on, Jeremy had insisted that Doc watch that.

Eventually the singing stopped and the sound of running water died. Honestly, how long did it take that man to shower?

The sound of soft footsteps alerted Doc to Bobo’s presence in the living room. The revenant’s skin was clean, bare chest, arms, and legs exposed. His white-tipped dark hair was far less oily, though a few strands were stuck against his forehead. With just a towel around his waist, a much tidier, still slightly wet Bobo stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“Could I uh…” Bobo swallowed. “Could I borrow some clothes? I was just gonna take them at first but I figured it was better to ask first. Trying that whole ‘niceness’ thing and all.” He raised his hands from his waist to do air quotes and Doc thanked God that the towel was tucked tight enough to stay put.

Holliday couldn’t help but stare. It was like someone had slapped him, punched him in the stomach, and knocked all of the air out of his lungs. “Uhhhh…. y-yeah. Put some- some damn clothes on your body...” He tore his eyes away and stared at the TV, his cheeks burning. “Shirt and pants and all that.”

Bobo smiled. Not his usual devilish grin, but a genuine smile. “Thank you.”

Doc nodded, only looking back at Bobo when the revenant had turned and started walking away. Cheeks growing red again, he looked back at the TV, even though he wasn’t even processing what was happening on screen.

Doc had seen Bobo shirtless before, so why was this time different? How could he even be sure that this reaction was because of Bobo being shirtless? S _top thinking about shirtless Bobo, damnit!_ Doc told himself, pushing any thought about that man out of his mind. He was probably just stressed and caught off guard, yes that was it... God, he really needed a drink.


	4. Wynonna Get Your Gun

Doc didn’t sleep very well. Sharing his small apartment with Bobo made him a bit paranoid. God, that roomba better be worth it. Eventually, after much tossing and turning in bed, John Henry fell asleep.

His dream was… odd to say the least. It was one of those dreams where they’re so realistic you forget you’re asleep. In it Doc was showering, facing the faucet, running his fingers through his hair. Apart from the sound of running water, it was quiet.

Then there was a knock on the bathroom door. Doc poked his head out of the shower curtain as the door creaked open. Bobo walked in, that stupid smile on his face and that _damn towel_ wrapped around his waist.

_“Mind if I join you?”_ Bobo asked.

Before he could respond, Doc woke up.

 

* * *

 

Bobo shoved another spoonful of cereal in his mouth as he sat on Doc’s kitchen counter. Sleeping on a couch was so much more comfortable than sleeping in a well. He had actually gotten a decent amount of sleep last night.

At some point during the night Doc had gotten up off the couch, tossed a blanket at Bobo, and muttered “Night.” before rushing back to his room, all without making eye contact. Weird, but then again, Bobo wasn’t exactly a welcome guest.

Not wanting to wear the torn and dirty asylum jumper, Bobo had put on some of Doc’s clothes, picking and choosing from his closet the night before, muttering the whole time about the gunslinger’s fashion sense. He’d picked out a pair of jeans, a red long sleeved shirt, and a grey hoodie. They fit pretty well, but Bobo still missed his coat.

A disheveled Doc walked into the kitchen in a t-shirt and jeans. It was odd seeing him in sleepwear instead of his usual ‘cowboy chic’ getup. His long hair was an unbrushed mess and sticking up in places. He had a pouty-frown on his face, one that indicated that he really didn’t want to be awake. Bobo thought it was all kind of… cute.

“Morning,” Bobo greeted. Doc grunted as a response. “I made coffee.”

Doc looked around the kitchen, frowning. “So where is it?”

“Oh yeah, uh… I kinda drank it.”

Doc rolled his eyes. “‘Course you did.” He moved around the kitchen doing what seemed to be his typical breakfast routine. Get a bowl, get cereal, get milk, put milk away, put cereal away, get a spoon, sit down at the table.

“I can make more coffee if you want.” Bobo suggested.

“No need. I can pick some up on the way to get Peacemaker.” Doc said. “Drive-Thrus, best damn invention of the 21st century.”

Bobo chuckled and set his empty bowl down. “Yeah, smartphones an’ modern medicine are shit.” The revenant wondered what the change had been like for the gunslinger. Bobo had been able to adjust more or less gradually, but Doc had pretty much been dropped from 1887 into 2017.

“Wynonna sent me a text,” Doc told Bobo. “Can you tell me the address for the place we will be going to? She wants to meet us there.”

“Alright I guess.” Bobo shrugged. He gave Doc the address and watched the man type it into his phone.

Doc continued to eat in silence while Bobo watched, his legs dangling from the counter and swinging slightly. “I do have chairs, you know.” Doc told him.

 

* * *

 

The Morgan brothers lived on the outskirts of Purgatory. Doc and Bobo’s drive there was quiet. They sat in Doc’s bright red car, Doc occasionally sipping his coffee. He looked over at Bobo every now and again. To make sure he wasn’t causing trouble, Doc told himself.

Bobo reached for the radio dial to change the station but Doc’s free hand slapped his fingers away. “Driver picks the music. Do _not_ touch my radio.”

The revenant huffed and leaned back in his seat. A minute later, the radio suddenly switched channels when the metal knob turned seemingly by itself. Doc glared at Bobo. “What?” Bobo said innocently. “You said not to _touch_ it.”

“You’re unbearable.”

“Aww. Right back at you, handsome.” Bobo purred.

Doc seemed at a loss for words for a few seconds after that comment. “Change it back, asshole.” he ordered, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

“Say please, Doc. Surely a gentleman such as yourself has some manners.”

“ _Please_ change it back, asshole.”

“That’s better.” Bobo turned his hand in the air and switched the channel back.

After another half hour of driving, Doc pulled up in front of a house. It was unusually normal. It was nothing too big or too small. It definitely wasn’t new, but it wasn’t ancient either. The house’s blue paint was faded and the windows on both floors had the curtains drawn. It didn’t seem that out of the ordinary. Had Doc not known to look for this exact place, he would have passed it by.

Doc drove around to the back of the house, parking there. It would be best to keep the car out of sight to not raise suspicion.

“The Morgans won’t be in,” Bobo told Doc as they exited the car. “They’ll be at some other revenant’s place, playing poker and trying to win more relics.”

“Are you positive they will not bet Peacemaker?” Doc asked.

“Sure as hell,” Bobo responded. “The risk of them losing it is too high, even if they are cheaters.”

“How do you know these revenants so well?” Doc inquired. He was curious. Bobo kept a lot of secrets, one of which was the extensive network he had managed to put together.

“You spend 130 years living and dying with the same people in the same area with the same curse, you get to know them,” Bobo explained. “The more you know, the more steps ahead of everyone else you are.”

The sound of a motor purring cut the conversation short. Wynonna pulled up on her motorcycle next to Doc’s car and dismounted. Doc tipped his hat as she took her helmet off.

“You have my coat?” Bobo asked.

“Yeah. It was a pain in the ass to get.” Wynonna responded. She handed over a poorly folded pile of fur to the revenant who eagerly snatched it from her hands. “What’s with you and your fur coat obsession anyways?”

Bobo grinned as he took Doc’s hoodie off and slipped the familiar coat on. “Dunno. Me without my coat is just like Doc without his hat, or Dolls without a stick up his-”

“Hey!” Wynonna interrupted.

“Where is agent Dolls anyways?” Bobo asked. Doc and Wynonna shared a silent glance, but that was all the info Bobo needed. “I see. Boyfriend doesn’t know. Very sneaky of you, miss Earp.” He chuckled. He handed the sweater over to Doc.

Doc opened the passenger side door to his car and tossed the hoodie in. When he turned back around, Bobo was smoothing his fur coat out, almost preening himself like a bird. The revenant didn’t look half bad in Doc’s borrowed clothes. The shirt seemed a little tight on him though…

“Holliday,” Bobo waved his hand in front of Doc’s face. “You’re staring.”

Doc blinked a few times. “My apologies. I just… you didn’t take any of my undergarments, did you?”

“Don’t be gross,” Bobo laughed. “I’m obviously going commando.”

“Ewwww...” Wynonna cringed. Doc covered his face with his hand.

The revenant laughed harder. “Nah, I’m wearing my own pair. Why do you ask?” Bobo smirked.

Doc opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, unable to answer.

“Can we please stop talking about your underwear and just get my damn gun already?” Wynonna begged.

“O-of course.” Doc stammered, trying to regain his composure. “We’ll be in and out of here. What’s the worst that could possibly happen?”


	5. Mirror, Mirror

“Locked.” Doc stepped away from the front door with a sigh. “Wynonna, do you think you could pick-”

Bobo cut him off. “Step aside, I’ve got this.” He snapped his fingers and a faint ‘click’ could be heard. “Control over metal, remember?” He held open the door, gesturing for Doc and Wynonna to enter.

Revolver at the ready, Doc walked in first. The house was an absolute mess. Piles upon piles of trash littered the floor. Books, newspapers, cardboard boxes, you name it. Any kind of junk was lying around in seemingly random piles, some barely a foot high, others almost brushing the ceiling. It all seemed like normal trash, though. The area was so cluttered that the trio had to walk in a single file line.

Wynonna looked through one of the boxes. It was filled with jewellery and watches, more expensive things that Martin and Michael had nicked from pockets, wrists, and purses.

“Over here,” Bobo said, gesturing to a door. “Basement.”

“How can you be sure?” Doc asked.

Bobo pretended to think it over. “Let’s see. Where would I keep my rarest, most dangerous, most valuable magic hoard hidden and out of sight? Oh I don’t know, a _locked basement_ _?_ ”

Wynonna put her hand against the door. “He’s right. Peacemaker’s down there. I just… know it.” She stepped out of the way as Bobo walked up to the door.

“Oh no, we need a key...” Bobo sighed, faking disappointment. He waved his hand and the door unlocked. “Idiots. If you’re going to hide magic items, use magic.”

Doc chuckled but bit his lip, a neutral expression quickly returning. Wynonna flicked on the basement lights and carefully started heading down the steps. Bobo followed, and then so did Doc.

“These guys could put the show Hoarders to shame,” Wynonna muttered.

“Yup. 130 years of non-stop collecting,” Bobo agreed. “These two were my go-to guys for if I needed something.”

“So why not just ask them for Peacemaker?” Doc inquired.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but my status isn’t exactly what it used to be,” Bobo grumbled. “And if I want to stick to the whole redemption path, I’ll have to kiss it goodbye completely.” There was a hint of anger in his voice, an unwillingness to let go of the respect he’d earned. Bobo didn’t want to go back to being a nobody.

Bobo ran his fingers over a stack of old books. Wynonna would most likely kill the Morgan brothers, that he didn’t care about. But he was curious as to what would happen to everything down here. All these dangerous, powerful items. Should he leave them here to collect dust? Keep them for himself? No, that somehow didn’t seem right. _“What would Wyatt do?”_ he thought. Stupid morality. He’d have to hand this stuff over to someone who knew how to properly deal with it.

“Baby!” Wynonna cried out, running to where Peacemaker rested on top of a table. The heir ran towards it, not noticing another stack of books on the ground. She tripped, eyes wide, hands reaching out to prevent her fall. Wynonna managed to grab the edge of the table, but her hands knocked an item onto the ground.

“Wynonna!” Doc rushed over to her. “Are you alright?”

“Fine…” Wynonna grumbled, getting back to her feet. She pushed her hair out of her face and grabbed Peacemaker off the table.

Bobo bent down to pick up what had been knocked off the table. It was a hand mirror, an ornate, curving metal frame caressing dusty glass. Something was inscribed on the back, but Bobo couldn’t make it out. As he wiped the dust off the mirror, they all heard the door upstairs open.

“Shit. The brothers are back,” Wynonna muttered. She held Peacemaker at the ready, nodded at the others, then started heading upstairs.

Bobo stood there, staring at his reflection in this strange little mirror. Traces of the man he used to be were still there. A man who died long ago. And then died. And then died. And then died.

“Bobo!” Doc hissed. “Del Rey, put that thing down and move your ass! Wynonna needs us.”

Bobo could hear him. He could hear Martin and Michael’s footsteps upstairs as they noticed the basement door was open. Still, he couldn’t move. For a split second, Bobo saw Robert Svane in the mirror. He saw short dark hair, gold rimmed glasses, and fearful eyes reflected back at him.

Doc grabbed Bobo by his wrist, pulling the revenant against the wall. The touch of Doc’s skin on Bobo’s seemed to be enough to snap him out of his trance. The mirror slipped out of the revenant’s other hand and fell to the ground.

The glass shattered. A white light began to flicker and incomprehensible whispers emanated from the cracks. Doc, still holding onto Bobo’s wrist, mumbled “Well that can’t be good,” before the two men collapsed on the ground.

 

* * *

 

 

“Doc? Doc!” Bobo could hear someone calling Doc’s name. That same someone was shaking his shoulders.

“Damn it, Holliday!” Wynonna grumbled.

Bobo felt a slap across his face and his eyes sprang open. “OW! What the fuck was that for?!” he reached a hand up to touch the sore spot on his cheek. Odd, he didn’t feel his beard. Bobo’s fingers trailed down his cheek, feeling stubbly but shaven skin. “The hell…”

“I got one of the brothers,” Wynonna told him, helping Bobo to his feet. “The other got away. Why weren’t you behind me? What happened down here?”

“I picked up the mirror you knocked over,” Bobo grunted. “It was all weird. Couldn’t move. Then Doc grabbed me, it fell, and-” Bobo mimed an explosion with his hands.

“Doc grabbed you?”

“Yeah? What, am I suddenly speaking French?”

“ _You’re_ Doc,” Wynonna said slowly, frowning. “How hard did you hit your head?”

Bobo snatched the broken mirror off the ground. When he looked in the shattered glass, Doc Holliday’s face stared back at him. Bobo ran his fingers through his hair. Doc in the reflection did too. His hair was longer, lighter too. In a different voice than he was used to, Bobo muttered, “Oh, shit.”

“Henry?” Wynonna asked. “Are you okay?”

Bobo ignored her. He saw a still sleeping figure lying on the ground. His body, and presumably, Doc. “HEY! GET UP!” he shouted, shaking the other him awake.

Doc opened his eyes and pushed away Bobo’s hands. “Quit touching-” He stopped short when he saw his own face staring back at him. “-me…”

“Wow, I really do look good...” Bobo-in-Doc’s-body said. “Hello, Doc.”

Doc-in-Bobo’s-body blinked in shock. “Wynonna…” he said cautiously. “Who am I?”

“Uh… Bobo?” Wynonna said, pointing at Doc. She then pointed at Bobo. “Doc?”

“No,” the two said in unison.

“That mirror must have done something to us,” Doc grumbled.

“Something?” Bobo sputtered. “ _Something?_ It swapped our goddamn bodies, Holliday!”

Wynonna raised her hand up to try and get their attention. “Woah woah woah. Hold up! So Bobo is Doc and Doc is Bobo? This is hurting my head.”

“My name is John Henry Holliday,” said Doc. He pointed over at the body that used to be his. “That _idiot_ who picked up an object he _knew_ would be magic over there is Bobo, presumably.”

“Idiot?” Bobo cried. “How was I supposed to know what it would do?! And I wasn’t the one who broke it!”

Doc took a step closer to Bobo, his eyes turning red and voice dropping in pitch. “I want my damn body back, Bobo!”

The revenant — or ex revenant — took a step back. “Is that really what I look like when I do that?”

Wynonna slowly nodded as Doc’s eyes changed back. “We should… probably go.” The heir muttered.

“What about this?” Doc asked, gesturing between himself and Bobo.

“Take the mirror, we’ll look for a way to fix it,” Wynonna sighed.

They followed Wynonna out the back of the house in silence. Bobo held Doc’s hat in his hands, slowly turning it over before putting it back on his head.

“I’m- I’m a revenant...” Doc mumbled.

Bobo stopped in his tracks. “That makes me human.”


	6. Grand Theft Bobo

The realization dawned on Bobo. Doc’s body was human. Humans could leave Purgatory. Doc had a car. The car... Keys? Bobo felt around in Doc’s pocket and pulled them out. “Come to papa.”

“Bobo?” Doc raised an eyebrow at the man. “What… are you doing?”

“I’m afraid I can’t stay any longer.” Bobo smiled. “It’s been a pleasure- well not really, it’s been a nightmare.”

Doc and Wynonna put two and two together, figuring out what Bobo was planning on doing. “You said you wanted to be better!” Wynonna growled. She lunged towards him, grabbing for the keys.

Bobo stepped back and started backing up towards Doc’s car. “I was a fool to think I could change.” He turned and ran towards the red sedan, Doc and Wynonna close on his tail.

Wynonna raised Peacemaker. “What the hell, Wynonna? Don’t shoot me!” Doc yelled.

“It’s not you, it’s Bobo!”

“Yet it’s still my body!” Doc argued. “Shoot the tire!”

The moments of arguing had given Bobo enough time to unlock the car, get in, and slam the door.

“Not enough time.” Wynonna said. She ran over to her bike and mounted it. “Get on.”

Doc blinked. “O- okay.” He stammered. He sat behind Wynonna, carefully wrapping his arms around her. “Couldn’t possibly be too different than riding a horse…”

It was very different than riding a horse. Doc squeezed Wynonna tighter as the two took off down the road after Bobo.

A wild grin spread across Bobo’s face as he pressed on the gas. This was his chance. He could leave it all behind and finally be free from the Earp curse. He could leave Purgatory and Doc would be stuck with the bill.

As the car passed over Purgatory’s border, Bobo instinctively flinched. He waited for the burning but it never hit. It worked. Laughing wildly, he sped up.

_“This is wrong.”_ A voice in Bobo’s mind whispered. _“You can’t do this. They trusted you.”_

“And that was their fault.” Bobo told himself. Still, his conscience pressed him. The guilt grew stronger as he got further and further away.

_“What would Wyatt do?”_

“Wyatt’s dead.”

Doc and Wynonna sped after him but stopped abruptly at the line. “He’s getting away!” Wynonna shouted.

“Thank you, Wynonna, I CAN SEE THAT!” Doc yelled back, getting off the motorbike and staring at the car. Bobo had betrayed them and he was getting away with Doc’s body. Holliday cursed himself for being so stupid, for thinking Bobo could actually change, for trusting the demon.

The rage built up inside Doc until he couldn’t hold it in. A strange feeling in his gut turned into energy coursing through his body. His back began to itch as he raised his right hand. His eyes- Bobo’s old eyes- changed to a glowing red as an invisible force shot out of his fingers.

Time seemed to slow down as the red car was flipped over. Too little too late, Doc realized what he had done. It sailed through the air for a good few seconds before landing upside down on the road, roof caving in. The windows shattered, glass spraying across the asphalt like an untimely snow. Three thoughts went through Doc’s mind.

The third was _“I liked that car.”_

The second was _“That’s my body.”_

The first was _“That’s Bobo.”_

Traitor or not, Doc couldn’t just leave him there. Bobo was mortal now, he could die. Ignoring Wynonna’s shouts, Doc ran towards the car.

The pain hit him like an oncoming train, the agony spreading through every part of his body. Doc had seen firsthand what happened to a revenant outside the border. His skin began to smoke as he burned alive. Still, he pressed on.

Like Doc, the car was also starting to smoke. Its wheels spun idly in the air.

Doc held his hand out again, praying that he could do this again. Slowly, the driver’s side door peeled itself open. Bobo’s eyes were closed. Doc’s black hat had fallen from Bobo’s head, revealing blood dripping from a gash on his forehead.

Wynonna was behind Doc now but her voice sounded like there was a wall between them. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the pain, or possibly a good mix of the two.

Doc fumbled to undo Bobo’s seatbelt, cursing the stupid contraption as he tried once, twice, three times to get Bobo loose. When it finally worked, Doc caught Bobo and pulled him from the wreck. One of Bobo’s arm’s was slung around Doc’s shoulder and Wynonna took the other, pulling the unconscious man back into town.

As soon as they crossed over, Doc collapsed. His skin was red, peeling and smouldering. His breath was quick, but slowing down as the pain faded away. He turned his head to look at Bobo. “Idiot…” Holliday muttered.

Then the world went dark.

 

* * *

 

Bobo woke up in a panic. Where was he? What was going on? What _year_ was it?!

When he sat up, a pang of pain emanating from his head. Long strands of brown hair fell across his eyes as Bobo was once again reminded that this wasn’t his body. He was in Doc’s apartment, in the gunslinger’s bed.

Bobo’s body- the one containing Doc- was sitting in a chair next to him. He looked horrible. His skin was red and peeling. Blisters and burns covered his face, though they appeared to be healing quickly.

“You’re up.” Doc said in a hoarse voice.

“Guess so.” Bobo shrugged. “What happened?”

“What happened is you’re an asshole and almost the both of us killed,” Doc told him. “You drove off.”

“That I remember...” Bobo mumbled.

“Why?”

“None of your-” Bobo stopped and sighed. Doc’s voice wasn’t its usual patronising tone. He was curious, maybe even hurt. “I drove off because I could. I’m human now and I saw the chance to leave.”

Doc nodded. “I would have done the same in your shoes.”

Bobo snorted. “You _are_ in my shoes.”

Holliday laughed a little, though it was clear it hurt.

“What happened after that?” Bobo asked.

“I got angry.” Doc replied. “I could barely control it, but I believe used your magical magnet powers to try and stop you. Ended up flipping the car.”

“You FLIPPED the CAR?!” Bobo managed to get out. “Wh- wow. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I also tore the door off.” Doc added, a hint of pride in his voice.

The smile on Bobo’s lips faded. “Why are you burnt?”

“Oh. Uh…” Doc scratched the back of his head. “I ran over the line.”

“You know that hurts you, idiot.”

“I ain’t no idiot, of course I know!”

“Then why’d you do it, _idiot?!_ ”

“Because-!” Doc seemed at a loss for words for once. He ran through excuses in his mind before giving up and telling the truth. “Because I hurt you and I couldn’t let you die.”

Bobo’s eyebrows furrowed. That didn’t make sense. Why would Doc try to save him, especially after the stunt he pulled? “Because… if I died we wouldn’t be able to swap back… right?”

“No?” Doc muttered. “Yes? I truly do not know. I just couldn’t let you die.”

“Oh.”

“Mm hmm.”

They sat in silence for a while, neither knowing exactly what to say.

“Where’s your hat?” Bobo asked. He felt the top of his head, wincing when he touched a patch of gauze that had been taped over a cut.

Doc gently guided Bobo’s hand away from the wound. “It fell off my- your head when the car flipped. Then the damn vehicle exploded.”

“Fuck,” Bobo said. “You lost your hat. And your car.”

“I can get new ones. Some things can be replaced,” Doc shrugged. “Others cannot.”

Bobo looked to the ground then said something that neither would have expected. “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I said I’m sorry,” Bobo repeated. “I thought I could change. Instead I just got us into this mess. I picked up the mirror like an idiot and got us swapped then I ran like a coward and got us hurt.”

“Change takes effort. Change takes time,” Doc told Bobo. “And sometimes change takes others giving you a chance.”

“Will you give me one?”

“Perhaps it’s about time I did.”


	7. No More Mr. Knife Guy

Bobo twirled his new mustache between his fingers. He hadn’t really had the time to take this all in before now. He was in an entirely different body than the one he had spent over a century in.

The weirdest part had to be that he knew this body, but now he was looking from the inside out with the eyes of Doc Holliday. The blue… piercing… mysterious eyes…

“I want to lay out some ground rules,” Doc said, sitting down at the kitchen table next to Bobo, snapping the man out of his daze. He still looked a little worse for wear, though much better than the night before. The blisters were scabbing over and his skin was far less burnt and cracked.

“I hate rules,” Bobo grumbled.

“I really do not care. Rule one: tell nobody about this,” Doc explained. “Until we switch back, I am one Bobo Del Rey and you have the gift of being Doc Holliday.”

“Yay me,” Bobo replied sarcastically. “So we keep up Wynonna’s charade.”

“Until everything is back to normal, we must.” Doc sighed. “Rule two: do nothing to ruin the others reputation. No embarrassing stunts, no one night stands, no pissing people off-”

“I never piss people off,” Bobo said, batting his eyelashes. “And come on, no one night stands? I’m in the body of Purgatory’s most eligible bachelor!”

“-I want it to be so that when we switch back-”

“If we switch back.”

“- _When_ we switch back, no new problems will need solving. Alright?”

“Fine,” Bobo agreed. “Anything else?”

“Yes. Rule number three: no physical harm or permanent physical changes are to be done to the host body,” Doc said.

“Host body, you make me sound like a damn parasite.”

“Aren’t you?”

“Oh shut up. I agree to the rules…” Bobo muttered. “No permanent physical changes? So a haircut wouldn’t count?”

It took a moment before Doc understood what he meant. He pointed a ringed finger at his look-alike. “Bobo, don’t you dare.”

A wicked grin spread across Bobo’s face. “Oh, come on. You could do with one!”

“Do NOT cut my hair!”

“It’s _my_ hair now.”

“BOBO DEL REY!” Doc roared, rising from his seat.

“Snip, snip!” Bobo chuckled. “You’d look great with a mullet.”

Bobo sprang up from the table as Doc grabbed for his arm. He missed and the revenant rushed to a drawer, fishing around for scissors. Bobo held up a pair triumphantly and Doc stared at him in horror.

“Bobo,” Doc said, slowly. “Put the scissors down.”

Bobo grinned and took a section of long brown hair in his fingers, raising the scissors to it. “Make me.”

Doc felt a familiar itch spread across his back. His eyes went revenant red as he pointed his hand towards the metal scissors. The scissors trembled for a moment in Doc’s hand before becoming still again. The new revenant’s control weakened and his eyes went back to normal. Doc let out a deep growl, trying again.

The scissors didn’t budge. However, every other metal item in the kitchen did. Drawers with metal handles flew open, cutlery sprayed onto the floor, pots flooded out of cupboards, all falling to the ground with a chorus of clanging noises. A knife flew from a block and impaled itself on a wall inches from Bobo’s face.

Bobo’s mouth fell open in shock. Then he started to laugh. “Are you kidding me, Magneto?” He hooted. “Everything _but_ the scissors, oh that is priceless!”

“They’re your powers!” Doc exclaimed, his eyes and voice normal again. “I have no control over them, I ain’t used to this damn body!”

“Please, it took me five minutes to learn,” Bobo scoffed.

Doc opened his mouth to argue when the front door to his apartment slammed open. The two turned to face Wynonna.

“What. The. Hell!” Wynonna exclaimed. “What the fuck happened?!”

“It was him!” Bobo and Doc claimed in unison, pointing to each other.

Wynonna facepalmed. “Children. I’m dealing with literal children.”

“What are you gonna do, spank me?” Bobo chuckled.

Wynonna glared at him, ignoring his comment. “Look, until this-” she gestured at Doc and Bobo “-is fixed, you two are roommates. So suck it up and stop squabbling like an old married couple.”

Bobo set the scissors down on the kitchen counter, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms across his chest. “I want a divorce.”

“Dolls called. Doc and I gotta go take care of something,” Wynonna sighed. Doc gave Bobo a smug grin and started heading towards the door. “Slow your roll, cowboy. You have to stay here.”

“But-” Doc started.

“I have to take Bobo. He looks like you,” Wynonna explained. “Plus, you still need a little more time to heal.”

It was Bobo’s turn to give a smug grin. Doc grumbled and sat down.

“Don’t leave your apartment, nobody can know Bobo’s free,” Wynonna told Doc. “And you, just pretend to be Doc for a bit.” She said to Bobo.

“You got it!” Bobo grinned. “Or should I say, you have my sincere word as a gentleman.” He did a dramatic bow.

“I do not speak like that.”

“I beg your pardon, but you do indeed,” Bobo continued. “Your language is rather superfluous.”

Wynonna snorted. “He’s kinda right.”

Doc glared at them. “Remember the rules.”

“I will follow them perfectly, without a doubt.”

“I hate you.”

“I believe you will find that statement to be incorrect.”

“Come on, Shakespeare. Let’s go,” Wynonna said, trying not to grin as she pulled Bobo out the door.

So Doc was left alone again. Just him, his thoughts, and Bobo’s body. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers brushing against the shaved sides. Maybe Bobo was right, his old body could do with a haircut.

That was a scary thought. Bobo being right. Then again, he did seem to be really trying to redeem himself. Doc wasn’t exactly sure how much to trust the demon. Everything about him, everything between them seemed to be changing so fast. Something within Doc was changing too. Maybe change wasn’t the right word. Maybe it was... progress.

Deciding to ponder on that later, Doc sighed and started picking up the pots and pans from the kitchen floor. The power this revenant body had felt raw, untamed, incredibly hard to control. It was amazing how Bobo was able to use it so finely.

Maybe Doc should practice. He raised his hand towards the knife embedded in the kitchen wall. He breathed in and out, slowly. The now familiar itch spread from Doc’s back and moved along his skin until it became a tingle at his fingertips.

The knife twitched. “Come on…” Doc muttered. His brow furrowed as his frustration grew. He wanted that knife to move, he _commanded_ it to move, curling his fingers. And it obeyed. The blade flew from the wall and into his hand, its movement stopping, the itch vanishing with it.

Doc laughed with delight. He held the knife up triumphantly. “Did you see-!” He stopped when he remembered nobody was around. “-that…”

He was alone.

 

* * *

 

 _You’re Doc now,_ Bobo thought. _Just do what Doc would do._

Officer Haught smiled at him as he and Wynonna walked in. Bobo smiled back. _So far so good._

“Doc, Wynonna,” Jeremy greeted. “Right on time!”

Wynonna nodded. “Hey, Jer.”

The scientist smiled then paused. “Your hat.”

“My hat?” Bobo responded. He touched the top of his bare head. Right, Doc’s hat. It was destroyed because of him.

“Yeah, where’s your hat?” Jeremy asked.

“I uh…” Bobo struggled to come up with an excuse. “I forgot it?”

“You forgot your hat?” Jeremy stared at him, puzzled. “You never forget your hat.”

“I know. D- me without my hat is like Bobo without that amazing coat of his, or Dolls without a stick up his-” Bobo was cut off when Wynonna elbowed him, hard. He swallowed and continued with his lie. “I was… at Shorty’s… and-”

“Doc was sleeping with some chick.” Wynonna interrupted. “When I got the text I uh… interrupted him. And he forgot his hat.”

“Ohhh…” Jeremy nodded. “Right, right.” he still didn’t seem entirely convinced.

Bobo smiled. “You know me. The women of Purgatory are drawn to me like moths to a flame.”

“What about your forehead?” Jeremy asked, more concerned.

Bobo touched the gauze. “Ah, yes. Well, allow me to just say that it was a very wild encounter.”

“Can we get started? Please?” Wynonna asked, trying to avoid any further questions.

“Yeah, of course!” Jeremy replied. “You guys aren’t gonna believe this.”

“Believe what?” Wynonna asked.

Jeremy took a deep breath before continuing. “Bobo Del Rey escaped the well.”


	8. A Little Tied Up

Doc sipped the drink he had prepared for himself and leaned back on the couch. This was nice. Peace and quiet, relaxing in his apartment, no Bobo around to annoy him. Though part of Doc did miss the revenant a little.

Doc set his drink down on the arm of the sofa and picked a book up off the coffee table. It was nice to have five minutes to himself for once.

Somebody knocked at the door. “Doc?” Waverly Earp’s voice asked. “You in?”

She couldn’t see him like this. If he didn’t answer she’d just go away. Doc kept his mouth shut, hoping that Waverly would just conclude that he wasn’t home.

The lock clicked and the door opened. Damn it all to hell, Waverly had a spare key to the apartment.

The drink on the arm of the sofa wobbled. It seemed to tip in slow motion, falling off the couch. Doc reached for it, even tried to use his new powers before remembering they only worked on metal. The glass hit the ground and smashed.

“Doc?” Waverly asked. She knew somebody was home now.

“I beg your pardon, Waverly,” Doc replied, trying his best to sound like his old self. “I didn’t hear you knock. I just happened to knock a drink over, nothing to worry about.”

“I just thought I’d drop off that book I’d borrowed last week...” Waverly said. “What’s up with your voice?”

_Think, Doc, think._ “I have a cold,” he lied, coughing a couple times for good measure. “I’d rather not infect you so do stay out of the living room. For your own good.”

“Are you sure? I can go pick you up some soup or medicine,” Waverly offered, still not sounding entirely convinced. Doc heard her footsteps grow louder as she made her way down the hall.

“I will live,” Doc quickly replied, hoping the younger Earp would buy the story and leave. “But thank you kindly for your generosity.”

Waverly entered the living room and locked eyes with Doc, who was currently wearing a less than friendly face. “Bobo.”

“Now, Waverly, I can explain-”

Doc wasn’t given a chance to explain. Waverly lunged at him, her fighting instincts kicking in. Her fist collided with the side of his face, sending him staggering backwards, the sudden hit throwing him off.

Doc felt his back itch again, hand twitching at his side, ready to throw everything his powers could at Waverly. He fought that urge, as tempting as it felt. “Waverly, I don’t want to fight you.”

“Can’t say the same,” Waverly spat. She kicked Doc square in the chest, the impact knocking the wind out of him and knocking him on his ass.

Taking the opportunity of the short moment Waverly needed to steady herself again, Doc swept his leg under her feet, tripping his friend and sending her to the ground. “I truly am sorry,” he mumbled an apology.

Waverly wouldn’t believe Bobo, that face had told many a lie in the past. But, she’d believe Wynonna. Doc didn’t have a cellphone on him, they’d taken Bobo’s phone away ages ago, and Bobo currently had Doc’s cell. He had to think fast. Doc couldn’t just run out for help, that would just cause more problems.

The home phone. The one attached to the wall in the kitchen. Doc leaped to his feet while Waverly was still getting up and raced to the kitchen. He grabbed the phone off the wall and started dialing.

Waverly followed close behind, she grabbed the first thing she could find, a frying pan, off a hook on the wall. While Doc’s back was turned, she swung as hard as she could. Her adversary crumpled to the ground. The phone dropped from his hand, dangling from the cord and emitting a barely audible dial tone.

The younger Earp sighed and dropped her makeshift weapon. She hadn’t expected a fight with Bobo to be this easy.

_Why was Bobo out of the well?_ she thought. _And what was he doing in Doc’s apartment?_

 

* * *

 

Dolls, Jeremy, Wynonna and “Doc” stood in Dolls’ office, the door closed. Bobo sat on the edge of Xavier’s desk, slightly hunched over until Wynonna elbowed him. Stupid Doc and his stupid posture. He straightened his back.

“Bobo’s escaped?” Wynonna asked. “How?”

“We don’t know,” Dolls sighed. “It’s possible some revenant came and got him out.

“Maybe he climbed out by himself,” Bobo suggested. “He is rather intelligent.”

“Is it really that big a deal if he’s out?” Wynonna asked. “I mean, he’s Bobo. What’s the worst he could do?”

“Regroup with allies?” Dolls suggested. “Try to kill us? He always has a plan, Wynonna. We need to take care of him.”

“What if Bobo’s not doing what he usually does?” Bobo grumbled, doing his best to keep up the act. Bored, he grabbed a pen off of Dolls’ desk and twirled it in his hand. “What if he’s... learned the error of his ways? Maybe even decided to help you?”

Jeremy laughed. “Nice one, Doc.”

Dolls frowned. “Since when are you Bobo’s number one fan?”

_Since I am him,_ Bobo thought. “I’m not. I simply think that there’s more to him than meets the eye.”

“Say we do need to look for him right now,” Wynonna said. “Bobo’s a hard guy to find. He could be anywhere!”

Wynonna’s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and awkwardly smiled at the group. “It’s Waverly. Give me a quick second.” Wynonna picked up the phone. “Hey, Babygirl. What’s up?”

_“It’s Bobo,”_ her sister replied.

Wynonna bit her lip. “Oh!” she replied, trying to sound shocked. Wynonna stared at Bobo and kept talking. “Bobo, huh? Yeah, we were just talking about him. At work. I’m gonna put you on speakerphone.” She set the phone down on Dolls’ desk.

_“I found him in Doc’s apartment,”_ Waverly explained. _“He… didn’t really put up a fight. Just hurry, okay? I’ve got him tied up but I don’t know how long that’ll last.”_

“We’re on our way,” Dolls replied. “Keep an eye on him.”

Wynonna hung up and put the phone back into her jean pocket. “Guess we’re going to Doc’s.”

Dolls nodded. “Wynonna, Doc, with me. Jeremy, you wait here for us.”

“Aw man,” Jeremy complained. “You guys always get to do the cool stuff.”

Bobo patted Jeremy’s shoulder. “Better luck next time, kid. Shotgun!” he called, tossing the pen back onto the desk.

 

* * *

 

Doc blinked away the black spots from his vision. He hissed in pain, trying to raise his hand up to rub the back of his head, instead finding it tied behind his back. “What in Sam Hill…”

He was tied to a kitchen chair. Waverly paced outside the doorway, nervously muttering to herself. “Is it a good thing he has rope just lying around? Why does Doc have rope lying around, do I really want to know? I mean, it’s Doc. I guess that’s explanation enough...”

“You really are quite the resourceful fighter, Waverly,” Doc commented, making her jump.

“I’m not talking to you,” Waverly curtly responded, crossing her arms.

Doc shrugged. “Fair enough. I can understand why.”

Waverly frowned at him, foot tapping nervously. “Why are you acting so polite?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, I’m afraid,” Doc sighed. “I promised I wouldn’t tell, but I don’t have much choice. Waverly, I am not Bobo Del Rey.”

“So what are you, his twin brother we’d never met before?” Waverly scoffed. “Yeah right. I’m not stupid.”

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.”

“And why should I? You’re a lying, cheating, manipulative dirtbag!”

The comment stung. Sure it was directed at him but it wasn’t directed at him. It was about Bobo, not Doc. This is what everyone thought of the revenant. True, Bobo had dug himself into a deep, deep hole of villainy, but he was trying to climb out.

There was a knock at the door. “It’s open,” Waverly said, not taking her eyes off of Doc.

Wynonna, Dolls, and Bobo stepped inside. Bobo gasped, putting a hand over his heart. That man truly had a flair for the dramatic. “Bobo Del Rey!” he exclaimed.

Doc sighed. This was not how he wanted to spend his alone time.


	9. Not-Doc and Not-Bobo

“I need to talk to Wynonna for a second,” Bobo said. He grabbed Wynonna’s arm and pulled her into the hallway.

“They can’t know.” Wynonna insisted.

“Then what’re we gonna tell them, huh? What’s Doc gonna say?” Bobo asked.

“He’s smart, he’ll come up with something!” Wynonna replied.

Bobo rolled his eyes. “As much as I’d love to see Doc try improv, we can’t keep this up for much longer.”

“Just a little bit longer,” Wynonna begged. “Please?”

“Why are you so dead set on nobody finding out about this?” Bobo asked. “Fuck, you’re so damn stubborn.”

Wynonna grit her teeth and stared Bobo down. “You want to know why I’m so stubborn about this? Because I _suck_ at being the heir. Because I can’t have another fuckup held against me.”

“You-”

“I’m not even supposed to be the heir! You damn well know that,” Wynonna continued, her voice wavering with what was still a fresh wound. “If anyone finds out that I lost Peacemaker then that’s just another thing on my list of mistakes.”

“You don’t suck at being the heir,” Bobo replied.

“You don’t have to rub it- wait what?” Wynonna said, slowly processing what Bobo had said.

“You don’t suck at being the heir,” Bobo repeated. “You put the seven in the ground. You put me in the ground. Hell, you literally put Constance Clootie in the ground. You are stubborn beyond belief, but you’re the best damn heir I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen them all.”

He put a hand on Wynonna’s shoulder, slightly surprised when she didn’t flinch away. “Your friends won’t care that you lost Peacemaker. They’re your friends, friends support each other no matter what.” There was a glimmer of pain in Bobo’s eyes for a second. “Wyatt would be proud of you,” he added, patting her shoulder and walking back into the kitchen.

Wynonna remained in the hallway for a second. Bobo Del Rey had just complimented and reassured her. He was changing for sure. His hard shell was cracking and a new person was starting to shine through.

“Everything okay?” Waverly asked as Bobo and Wynonna returned.

Wynonna blinked. “Yeah- yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Apart from the fact that my living space has been broken into!” Bobo exclaimed. “By Bobo Del Rey nonetheless.”

Doc glared at Bobo. “Listen. I’m not-” he began, stopping when he saw Wynonna in the corner of his eye mouthing ‘please’. Doc sighed. “-going to tell you why I’m here.”

“You got out of the well and broke into Doc’s apartment,” Dolls stated. “How?”

“I’m a man of many talents and much mystery.” Doc shrugged, praying he wouldn’t have to keep this up for much longer.

“Then again, you are dumb enough to get caught,” Waverly chimed in.

“Getting out of the well was sheer dumb luck, wasn’t it?” Dolls asked. “You just manipulated someone into freeing you and then ran.”

Bobo, unseen by the others, clenched his fist, his rage slowly boiling up inside him. He stood and listened to them slander his name. Wynonna owed him big time for this.

“Well I-” Doc began.

Waverly cut him off. “Haven’t we dealt with enough of your bullshit already? God, we’re sick and tired of cleaning up the messes you make, aren’t we, Wynonna?”

Wynonna blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah-”

“So the first thing you do is break into Doc’s apartment? And the best excuse you have is ‘I’m not Bobo’, like we’d be dumb enough to fall for that!” Waverly ranted. “What, did you kick a puppy or dance on Wyatt’s grave on your way over?”

“Alright, that’s goddamn enough!” Bobo exclaimed. “I’m not going to stand by and let her blindly insult me. I can’t keep this up anymore.”

Doc let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank the lord. Wynonna, could you please untie me?”

Wynonna walked over to Doc and began to untie him, ignoring Waverly and Dolls’ protests.

“Earp, what the hell are you doing?!” Xavier asked, drawing his gun and pointing it at Doc.

“Can- can Bobo mind control people? Is that another power he has?” Waverly stammered.

“God, I wish,” Bobo grumbled.

“Relax, Dolls,” Wynonna sighed. “He’s telling the truth. He’s not Bobo.”

“She’s right,” Bobo said. “That handsome face over there? That may be my body but it isn’t me. _I_ am Bobo Del Rey,” He claimed, pointing a finger at his chest.

Doc stood and rubbed his wrists. Red marks lined them and they would surely bruise overnight. “And as unbelievable as it may seem, I am John Henry Holliday,” He said with a small bow.

Wynonna pinched the bridge of her nose. “They swapped bodies. Doc is Bobo and Bobo is Doc.”

Dolls didn’t seem to buy it. His eyes narrowed and his gun didn’t lower. “I’m going to need some proof.”

“Like what?” Bobo asked. “Me telling you what my tramp stamp says?”

“You have a tramp stamp?” Wynonna asked, bewildered. “You know what, I don’t want to know and I don’t want to check.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Doc, what did we do for Dolls’ birthday?” Waverly asked.

“Now you see, Dolls being Dolls, he didn’t want to celebrate or make a big deal out of it. However, Jeremy organized a game of paintball for us before we returned to Shorty’s for drinks. I won, in case that matters.”

“It doesn’t,” Wynonna grumbled.

“Now, don’t be a sore loser, Wynonna.”

“You shot me in the boob!”

Dolls lowered his gun a little. “What’s your date of birth?”

“August 14, 1851,” Doc answered without hesitation.

“Favourite song?”

“Cage the Elephant, No Rest for the Wicked.”

“ _Real_ favourite song.”

Doc hesitated then looked to the ground. “Adele, Rolling in the Deep.”

Dolls lowered his gun before putting it away. “It’s Doc.”

“Oh my gosh…” Waverly put her hands over her mouth. “I punched you, Doc I’m so sorry!”

“It’s quite alright, I understand why you did it,” Doc replied.

Bobo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, cuz she thought you were me. Don’t I get an apology?”

“Wynonna, why is Bobo out of the well?” Dolls asked. “How did this even happen?”

“Well you see… uh...” Wynonna began.

Bobo swooped in to save her from having to reveal her mistake. “They needed my help, so I was helping them. Pair of revenants were causing trouble and they came to me to track them down.”

“They came to you instead of to me?” Dolls inquired sceptically.

“They’re thieves, you see. And they stole something…” Bobo continued

Wynonna braced herself to be bombarded with criticism over losing Peacemaker.

“They stole Doc’s hat. He was too embarrassed to let you find out,” Bobo lied. “Right, Doc?”

Doc, rather than go against Bobo like he usually did, surprisingly accepted the made up story without hesitation. “Right. Didn’t want to worry you over something as simple as a hat.”

“However, these thieves don’t just steal normal items. They hoard magical ones as well, so they were more dangerous than expected. In return for my help, Wynonna and Doc let me out,” Bobo explained, weaving together truth and lie into a tapestry in the shape of a believable story.

“So we infiltrated the house-” Doc started.

“-Nobody was home-” Bobo chimed in.

“-Found a cursed mirror-”

“-Which swapped our bodies.” Bobo finished, he and Doc working in tandem for once.

“That’s why you didn’t have your hat,” Waverly said.

Doc nodded. “We couldn’t find it.”

“So why not just tell us?” Dolls asked. “This swap isn’t completely unheard of, we could have started looking for a reversal.”

“Because it’s embarrassing as hell?” Bobo answered. “I mean, look at me. I look like a historical reenactment reject.”

“Yeah? Well at least you don’t look like a walking bear skin rug,” Doc quipped.

Bobo snorted with laughter. “Yeah, but I look like a hairy caterpillar died under my nose.”

“I look like I raided my mother’s jewelry box and wore everything I could find at once.”

“I look like Colonel Sanders and Billy Ray Cyrus had a baby.”

“I look like a stuffed bear that somebody attacked with a pair of clippers.”

The two burst out laughing, unable to keep insulting each other. Bobo leaned against the wall in a fit of giggles, Doc grinning at him like a madman.

“Well, they’ve officially lost it.” Wynonna sighed.

Dolls sighed. “I’ll let Jeremy know about this, we can start looking for a reversal. Do you still have the mirror?”

Doc nodded, his laughter dying down enough to respond. “It’s in my room.”

“Bring it back to BBD,” Dolls instructed. “And be careful with it.”

Bobo snorted. “Yeah, it’s a little late for that.”


	10. Just What the Doc(tor) Ordered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notice: This chapter involves a very very brief and simple explanation of bisexuality and is in no way the complete definition. There's also a Latin phrase which is probably wrong, so excuse my rusty Latin. Don't feel pressured to translate it, it'll be explained in future chapters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little heads up on what I'm working on:
> 
> -TTABY part 11  
> -Heads and Tails part 2  
> -Sequel to Mistake  
> -Possible series with Hollirey and Wyndolls looking after Alice Michelle
> 
> If you want to check out my Earper Homestead con experience, check out my blog (http://murdochinthetardis.tumblr.com/tagged/eh-con). Thanks for sticking around and supporting my writing!

When you take a good man and throw him into Hell, things get complicated. Light and darkness battle for dominance in the soul, sometimes manifesting physically. Most revenants didn’t have light to fight. Yet remnants of Robert Svane were still in Bobo Del Rey.

Doc had felt the brand on Bobo’s back itch whenever he tried to control metal, but it had never been this bad. The brand, a crooked symbol on every revenant’s skin, burnt, the pain coming from it ebbing through his entire body.

Doc rolled onto his stomach, shoving his face into his pillow. There was no way he’d be able to fall asleep with this agony keeping him up. He needed a drink. A little alcohol might help numb the pain.

He staggered to his feet, hand on the wall next to him for support. Bobo was asleep in the living room and Doc didn’t want to wake him up. Biting his lip to keep in any more sounds of pain, Doc continued into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of gin and sat down at the table, pouring himself a glass.

Doc downed the drink. He waited, but barely felt anything. Damn this demon’s alcohol tolerance. He poured another drink. Then another. And another. Soon the bottle was pretty much empty.

 

* * *

 

 

The sound of glass smashing woke Bobo up. It was followed by a string of curses, all slurred into each other. Pushing his hair out of his face, Bobo got up to investigate.

Turning the lights on, he found Doc in the kitchen, muttering to himself and picking up pieces of a broken glass.

“Doc?” Bobo asked. Doc whipped around at the sound of his tired voice, blinking at the sudden light. “Let me help you with that.”

“No, no,” Doc waved Bobo away. “I goddit. ‘S fine...” he mumbled.

“Are you drunk?”

“Maybe. Yes. No!… yes?” Doc replied. “It was merely an infinitesimal amount.”

“Does that mean a little or a lot?”

“Yes.”

Bobo frowned. “Why the hell are you drinking so late-” He got his answer when Doc’s face contorted with pain and his shoulders tensed up. He knew instantly what was going on. “Your back hurts, doesn’t it?”

Doc nodded. “Why’s it hurt?” He asked.

“I… I don’t really know,” Bobo confessed. “I’ve always been different than the other revenants. My brand is on my back. Theirs are on their faces. Mine hurts sometimes. Theirs… don’t.”

“Thas just nonsen- nonsensic-” Doc hiccuped. “It’s just stupid.” He kept swapping between long convoluted words and contractions. He dropped the shards of glass in the garbage bin,

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed,” Bobo said, putting a hand on Doc’s shoulder and leading him back into the hallway.

“Don’t usually go to bed with men,” Doc giggled. “Butchu make me question that sometimes.”

“Huh?”

“Men!” Doc said, making a wide sweeping gesture with his arms and almost losing his balance. “Always been ladies. Love ladies, ladies are great. I still do love them ladies but sometimes I ponder… I get these _feelings_ , y’know? I look at a man ‘n it’s like seeing a lady but it ain’t like it at all.”

“I uh… I think I get what you’re saying,” Bobo muttered. “I mean, I’m bi so…”

“Bi?”

“I like men _and_ women. Bisexual, when you like two or more genders.”

“More like _bye_ -sexual ‘cuz I ain’t gonna listen to them feelings.” Doc laughed. “Don’t wanna.”

“Why not?” Bobo asked.

Doc stopped laughing and frowned. “Dunno.”

“It isn’t the 1880’s anymore, John Henry. Things are different,” Bobo told Doc. “Your friends aren’t gonna treat you differently if you’re not straight.”

“But what if- what if there’s one man?” Doc suggested. “And this one man, you’ve never liked him. But he starts _acting_ different so you start _feeling_ different but you don’t like how it feels, but you do and-”

“Then you figure out those feelings when you’re sober,” Bobo advised. “And don’t just repress them. Trust me, it doesn’t end well.”

Bobo led Doc into his bedroom and the gunslinger promptly collapsed on his bed. He lay there on his chest, staring at the wall.

Bobo sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

“It hurts…” Doc mumbled.

Bobo reached out and stroked his hair. “I know, John. I know.”

“Right,” Doc muttered, leaning into Bobo’s touch. “‘Course you know. ‘S your body.”

“Yeah. Guess I’ve just gotten used to it.” Bobo shrugged.

Doc groaned again, stretching out on the bed. “You did’n deserve this.”

“What?”

“The curse. Wy’s curse,” Doc explained. “You were just bein’ a good person and then…” His voice trailed off. “Was it my fault?”

“What? No!” Bobo was shocked that Doc would even suggest that. It had to be the alcohol talking, a sober Doc would never call Bobo ‘a good person’.

“I should have been there.”

“You were sick.”

“I should have taken that bullet.”

“Stop. Please. It wasn’t your fault,” Bobo pleaded. “You can’t change the past. Only the present. But change takes effort. Change takes time.”

“I told you that.”

“Yeah, you did,” Bobo confessed. “And I’m trying to change because of you.”

Doc squinted at Bobo. “Me? What’d I do?”

“You changed,” Bobo told him. “When I met you for the first time, you were kinda a dick, pardon my French.”

“Nah, s’fine. I was.” Doc shrugged him off.

“But look at you now! Hero of Purgatory. You’ve gone from being a lone wolf to having tons of friends. You put them before yourself,” Bobo said. “Wyatt would have been proud.”

“Nonna already is. So’s Waves,” Doc muttered. “That’s good ‘nuff for me.”

Bobo smiled. He ran his hand down Doc’s back, gently rubbing over where the brand was. Doc sighed and relaxed a little more. “Keep doin’ that. Please? Feels… feels nice.”

“Yeah, I got you.” Bobo kept massaging Doc’s back, watching as his breathing became slower and more regulated. Soon, Doc began to snore.

“Doc?” Bobo asked. Doc didn’t reply. He was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful, Bobo hoped that in his drunken slumber that nightmares wouldn’t find Doc.

Bobo got up when a glint of light caught his eye. The mirror, the cursed one that had done all of this, was hidden away under Doc’s bed, wrapped in a hoodie. Bobo carefully pulled it out, looking over the broken object. Dolls wanted it examined tomorrow morning.

Bobo flipped it over to the back, wanting another look at the inscription. The words were blurred. Bobo rubbed his eyes, but it still didn’t clear. Then the pieces fell together. Bobo thought that the slight blurriness of his vision was a side effect of the swap, that it would fade with time. He checked under the bed again.

A glasses case. “Bingo,” Bobo whispered, reaching under Doc’s bed to grab it. Bobo took the glasses out of the case and slipped them on. Everything was so much clearer, even shrouded in darkness. Doc Holliday, best damn shot in all of the Ghost River Triangle, was far sighted.

Still, it was nowhere near as bad as Bobo’s vision used to be. Back when he was human. He couldn’t see a foot in front of his face without his gold rimmed glasses. He’d never expected that Doc would need a pair too.

The inscription. Bobo turned his attention back to the mirror.

_animum totum duo contraria faciunt_

And of course it was in a language Bobo couldn’t speak. He huffed and took off Doc’s glasses, putting them back into their case. He slid them and the mirror back under Doc’s bed and got up to leave.

Bobo looked back at Doc, who was now fast asleep. As weird as it felt, seeing as Doc was in his body, the revenant felt a small urge inside him. He leaned forward and gave Doc a soft kiss on the cheek before walking back to the living room.


	11. Wake Up and Smell the Growing Romantic Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: A mention of the logistics of how going to the bathroom works in another person's body, Doc wants Bobo to shut up about it

It was the smell of food that woke Doc up. He sniffed the air, breathing in a faint, fruity aroma. The sweet scent was accompanied by the soft sizzling of the frying pan.

The gunslinger-slash-temporary-revenant swung his legs over the bed and got to his feet. Last night was hazy, but at least the pain in his back was gone. Doc slowly made his way to the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake himself up.

Thank Heaven and Hell for a demon’s metabolism. Doc’s headache was so faint he knew it would be gone within the hour. His stomach didn’t feel nauseous, but it did rumble with hunger. Best hangover he’d ever had, and he’d had a lot.

Bobo stood in the kitchen, his back facing Doc. He had tied Doc’s long hair back in a ponytail. He heard Doc enter, turned around, and smiled at him.

“Morning, sleeping beauty. Watch this!” Bobo grinned. He lifted the frying pan off the stove and with the flick of his wrist, sent the contents into the air. The pancake he had been cooking flipped mid air, then landed back on the frying pan. “Tada!”

The corners of Doc’s mouth twitched up into a smile. “You can cook?”

Bobo nodded then turned back to the stove. “You pick up a few hobbies after 130 years. You should see me sew, I do a mean blind stitch.”

“You sew?”

Bobo blinked, his cheeks ghosted with a shade of red, like he had just been seen without his clothes on, a vulnerable part of himself revealed. “Yeah. Reminds me of…” His voice trailed off. “You don’t want to hear any more of my sob story, especially not so early,” Bobo chuckled halfheartedly. He slid the pancake onto a plate then set it on the table. “Sit. Eat. It’s blueberry. I put it together with the scraps you have in your fridge.”

Doc sat. A mug of coffee was sitting in front of his plate, still hot.

“I know you’re no morning person so get caffeinated. I’m the one stuck with your cranky ass all day,” Bobo explained.

“Thank you,” Doc replied. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Yeah well…” Bobo seemed not to have a retort to this. “Shut up.”

Doc smiled. He began to eat, slightly taken aback at how good the breakfast was. His own cooking was passable at best, but Bobo had skill. “What does sewing remind you of?”

“You really wanna know?”

“Could use a nice sob story to hold over your head in the future.”

“I’ll tell you one if you tell me one in return,” Bobo negotiated. “So we’ll be even.”

“Alright, deal,” Doc agreed. “You first.”

“Sewing reminds me of my mother,” Bobo said with a shrug. “Back in ye olden days, when I was a kid, we didn’t really have the cash for new clothes. My parents were immigrants, y’know. Norway. I always wanted to go, but…”

Doc could guess the part he left out. _“But I’m stuck here now.”_

“So anything with a tear in it was stitched up, patched up, good as new. Whenever I sew, it reminds me of her,” Bobo explained. “I bet she laughs her ass off up in Heaven every time I stab myself with the needle.”

Doc tried to picture a younger Bobo, small and beard-less, watching his mom work quietly to reattach a button onto his coat. He felt a twinge of sadness when reminded of his own mother.

“Your turn.”

“Alright, suppose it’s only fair,” Doc said. He took a sip of his coffee. “When I was a boy, I wanted to become a doctor. I saw what happened to my mother when she got consum- tuberculosis. Whatever it is called these days, it remains just as horrible. I never wanted to see anyone else in pain like that again.”

“Is that why you’re called Doc?”

“More or less,” Doc replied. “I wasn’t deemed good enough to become a proper physician, so I became a dentist. And let me tell you, I hated it.”

“Really?”

“Really. The same place day after day doing the same thing. I wasn’t saving people like I wanted to. Saving them from an infected tooth, maybe, but that ain’t the same,” Doc retold. “Guess fate finally saw that I wasn’t satisfied and dropped the right man in my chair.”

“Let me guess, his name started with a ‘W’ and ended with ‘yatt Earp’?”

“Exactly. So I guess you know the rest. I joined him and never looked back,” Doc finished. “Well we could be here all day exchanging tales of old, but we should get going soon.”

“Mm hmm,” Bobo hummed in agreement. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah. How drunk was I last night? Did I say anything uh...odd?” Doc asked.

“You don’t remember?”

“No.”

“You just bragged a lot,” Bobo lied. “Blah blah pistols, blah blah best gunslinger in Purgatory.”

Doc shrugged, accepting the made-up story from Bobo.

“Hurry up and eat, your nerd friends need to fix us,” Bobo told Doc.

“Have you eaten?” Doc asked him.

Bobo was silent for a second. “Yes?”

“Liar.”

“Shut up.”

“Sit down and eat.”

“Fine, _mom_.”

Doc snorted with laughter at the teasing comment. He was glad Bobo was opening up a little. It was like every day he got to see a new side to the demon. Sides he didn’t notice before.

He liked it.

 

* * *

 

Jeremy studied the mirror under a magnifying glass, his eyes taking in every last detail. He held it with latex gloves on his hands, just in case.

“Bobo?” Jeremy asked, his gaze shifting up to Doc, still in the revenant’s body.

“Over here, Dorkter Who,” Bobo grumbled.

Jeremy looked over at him. “Right, sorry. Still getting used to that.”

“Believe me, so are we,” Doc sighed.

“I’m the short one now, it’s humiliating!” Bobo complained.

The gunslinger looked him up and down. “We are the same damn height!”

“You wish. I’m like… a few centimeters taller normally.”

“Who the hell uses centimeters? That don’t count.”

“Technically over 90% of the world,” Jeremy piped up.

Bobo smiled smugly. “Thank you, Jeremy.”

“But technically with the hat on, Doc’s taller.”

“Ha!” Doc grinned.

“Yeah, but you don’t have the hat anymore, do you, Hank?”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Shut up.”

“You owe me a new hat and a new car.”

Jeremy set down the mirror turned around in his chair. “I have a spare hat if you want a replacement. Looks exactly like yours.”

Doc opened his mouth to ask a question but decided against it. “Do I really want to know why?”

“No…”

Doc sighed. “Thank you, Jeremy. I will take you up on that offer when this ordeal is done and over with.”

Dolls walked in, a couple files in his hand, and Wynonna close behind. He looked at the three men that were grouped around the broken mirror. “Any progress?”

“Not much,” Jeremy admitted. “Hey, what do you do if you have to use the bathroom?”

“Dude!” Dolls exclaimed.

Doc buried his face in his hands.

Bobo seemed unfazed. “We made an agreement not to talk about it. But I mean, a man’s gotta piss, right? When you gotta go.”

“Please stop talking,” Doc muttered, his voice slightly muffled.

“Alright, alright, jeez,” Bobo replied, rolling his eyes. “Relax. But you do have a nice d-”

“BOBO!” Doc shouted, raising his slightly red face up.

Wynonna struggled to catch her breath from laughing as Dolls cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the awkwardness in the room. “So, you said there were two brothers who owned this mirror?”

Wynonna nodded, regaining her composure. “Revenants. I got one, but the other got away.”

“Do you think if we tracked him down, he would know how to reverse this?” Jeremy suggested.

“I guess it’s... possible,” Bobo replied, shrugging. “I’m not sure.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Doc added. “Any lead is a lead.”


End file.
